Photographic time-shutter



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

. E. KUHN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG TIME SHUTTER. No. 362,518. v Patented May 10, 1887.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. KUHN.

} PHOTOGRAPHIG TIME SHUTTER. No. 362,518. Patented May 10, 1887.

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p U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMOND KUHN, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHI C TIME-SHUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,518, dated May 10,1887.

Application filed June 29, 1886. Serial Ne. 206.60i. (No modcll To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMOND KUHN, a resident of Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improved PhotographicTime-Shutter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a face view of my improved photographic timeshutter.Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the same on the line 0 c, Fig. 1. Fig. 2is a face view of the same without the dialplate, the hand or pointerbeing in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aface view of the same, showing the covers or flaps in a differentposition'from What they are in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail face View,partly in section, of the frame of the apparatus, showing the escapementand ratchet wheel. Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the escapement in adifferent position from that in which it is in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a sideview of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a' horizontal section on the Fig. 6 isa horizontal section on the same plane as Fig. 6, but showing theescapement locked. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section on the line 0 70,Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a side view of a photographic camera with myimprovement thereon.

The object of this invention is to provide aphotographiccamerawithmeansforautomatically exposing the lens and objecttherein to the light for any desired length of time, and to relieve theoperator of the burden of loosely estimating the time of exposure.

Theinvention consists, briefly stated, in combining such a camera with apair of shutters or flaps and with mechanism for moving one of saidflaps automatically, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, the letter A represents the tubular or other end of acamera, being the end nearest the subject to be photographed.

B and O are two shutters or flaps,which are hinged to lugs a and b,respectively, that project from opposite sides of the tube A. The pivotsof these flaps B and O are respectively provided with springs d and e.The spring at of the flap B is so constructed that it will have atendency to throw the flap B over the end of the tube A, so as toexclude light from said tube. The spring 6 of the flap or shutter O isso adjusted as to tend to throw said flap or shutter O away from thetube A; hence if the parts are left to themselves the upper flap orshutter, B, will be let down over the end of the tube A, as in Fig. 3,while the lower flap or shutter, G, will be swung below said tube A, asin the same figure. For greater con venience I will hereafter in thisspecification term the selfclosing flap B the upper flap and theself-opening flap O the lower flap, although of course either may be theupper or the lower.

To the tube A is rigidly attached a shell or case, D, to which ispivoted at f a lever, E, which lever extends into the case I) andprojects also outside of said case, as is shown in Fig. 3. The upperflap, B, carries on its outer side a little hook, g, which, when hookedover the projecting end of the lever E, as in Fig. 5, will serve to holdsaid upper flap,B,open. The

lower flap, 6, has a projecting hook, 11, which, 7

when said flap is raised, as in Fig. l, is engaged with a hook, "i, on alever, F, that is pivoted atj in the case D. Thus by the lever E the lidB can be held openthat is, away from the tube A-and by the lever F theflap O can be held shut-that is, placed over the tube Aall as in Figs.1, 2, and 8.

The lever F is connected with a cord orstring, I. WVhen this cord orstring is pulled, the lever F will be disengaged from the shutter orflap O, whereupon the spring 6 will throw said shutter or flap O openinto the position shown in Fig. 3. The photographic apparatus in thecamera will now be exposed to the light.

The object of my invention will be more clearly understood, after whathas been stated, when it is remembered that the length of time ofexposure will be regulated by clock-work, which affects the lever E andcauses the same to become disengaged from the flap B at the proper time,whereupon said flap B will, un der the influence of the spring d, bethrown shut over the end of the camera, as in Fig. 3.

My intention is to regulate by clock-work the time elapsing between theopening of the shutter O and the closing of the shutter B, and to dothis with exactness and automatically,in-

stead of leaving the operator, as heretofore, to guess at the timenecessary for the exposure.

The case or shell D contains in a suitable barrel, on, a spring, whichis adapted to turn 5 a spindle, a, in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 2,whenever said spring is wound. The spindle n has a projectinghand or point-er, 0, in front of a dial, p, which dial closes theexposed end of the ease or shell I). The

IO spring in the barrel in is substantially unwound whenever a lug, r,on the spindle it bears against a fixed pin, 1, as in Fig. 3. In thesame position the lug r isin contact with the inner end of the lever E,raising the same, so [5 that it cannot hold the shutter B open.

The spindle it carries an escapemcnt-wheel, 3, near which is pivoted in,the case 1) an anchor or escapemcnt, t, which anchor engages with theteeth of the escapemcnt-wheel in the usual manner, to prevent too rapidrotation of the spindle when the spring is unwinding. \Vhcn the pointer0 is taken from its normal position and turned by hand in the directionot' the arrow, which is shown in Fig.

2 1, over the face of the graduated dial into a different positionsaythat shown in Fig. 2 it winds up the spring in the barrel in, so thatwhen afterward the pointer-islet go,said spring, unwinding, will carrythe pointer back to said o normal position, which is that indicated inFigs. 1 and 3.

In the case D is fastened a spring-blade, a, which, by an arm, o, of thelever F, can be crowded into engagement with a projection,

5 w, of the escapemcnt t, as in Figs. t and 4. Fig. 6 shows the end ofthe spring-blade a crowded by the projection '0 into the way of the part10 of the escapemcnt. Whenever this occurs the escapemcnt cannot more.One of 0 its teeth engages with the escapemcntwheel and theescapemcnt-wheel cannot turn. Consequently the spring in the barrel incannot unwind.

These being the parts which constitute the 4, mechanism which I havedescribed,their operation will be readily understood. The said operationis as :t'ollows After the camera has been properly adjusted as todirection'and distance from the object to be photographed, and

before the negative is placed in the camera, the operator turns thepointer 0 to that part of the dial which indicates the length of timethe negative is to be exposed to the light. Thus, it" the pointer 0 isplaced opposite the figure 3 on the dial, that would indicate that threeseconds would be the period of exposure. With his linger still on thepointer 0, the operator now closes the shutter C over the end of thetube A, and engages said shut- 0 ter by its hook h with the lever F.This action locks the shutter O and also the lever F, holding the latterin the position shown in 'Fig. 2, with its projecting arm 1; bearingagainst the spring-blade a, crowding the latten against the escapemcntand locking that. Now, the attendant can let go of thehand o,as

the'spring in the barrel at will be unable to turn the hand back to itsnormal position, the escapemcnt-wheel being locked. At the same time theshutter 13 is open, being held open by the level-E, as in Fig. 2. Thenegative is now inserted, and whenever everything is in readiness forthe taking of the picture the operator pulls the cord Z. Thereby hereleases the shutter O and also the spring-blade a at one and the sametime from the locking effect of the lever F. As a result the shuttenCwill instantly fly open and the hand 0 will at the same moment begin toturn back, under the influence of the spring in the barrel m, to what Ihave termed its normal position. It will take the exact time indicatedby the dial to cause the hand 0 to reach its normal position. Justbefore its normal position is reached, and the pin q again in contactwith the lug 7', the lug r on the spindle a will strike the lever E andnioveit from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig.8. By this movement of the lever E the shutter B will be released, and,under the influence of its spring d, thrown over the end of the tube A.Thus the time elapsing between the opening of the shutter 0, caused bythe motion of the lever F, and. the closing of the shutter I3, caused bythe movement of the lever 16, will be the time of actual exposure, andthe attendant will be able by moving the pointer 0 to the proper placeon the dial to regulate with exactness and nieety the time of suchexposure.

I claim"- 1. The combination of the tube A on the camera with theshutter 13, and the lever E, for holding said shutter open, and arotating spindle having a lug or cam thereon engaging the lever E, andmechanism, substantially as described, for automatically moving saidlever E and unlocking the shutter 13, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The tube A of a photographic camera, combined with two shutters, Band O, the shuttcrclosing spring (I, the shutter-opening spring a, andwith the levers IE and F and mechanism, substantially as described. formoving them, all as set forth.

3. The combination of the spindle a with a spring for turning it,pointer 0, eseapementwheel 3, lug r, escapemcnt l, movable blade 21,levers E F, and shutters B O, substantially as and for the purposeherein shown and described. I

L. In a photographic camera, the combination thereof with one shutter,O, and mechanism l'or holding it closed, with another shutter, 13, andmechanism for holding it open, and with a time-piece for regulating theperiod of time which elapses between the opening of the shutter G andthe closing of the shutter B, as specified.

EDMOND KUHN. lVitnesses:

(ins'riiv Sorrnnrriz, thm'ntns G. M. THOMAS.

